The invention relates generally to electrodes and supercapacitor desalination devices using the electrodes, and methods for making the electrodes and supercapacitor desalination (SCD) devices. More particularly, the invention relates to bipolar electrodes and supercapacitor desalination devices using the bipolar electrodes, and methods for making the bipolar electrodes and the SCD devices.
SCD devices generally refer to supercapacitors that are employed for desalination of seawater or deionization of other brackish waters to reduce the amount of salt to a permissible level for domestic and industrial use. Generally, a supercapacitor cell has a double layer construction, in which a pair of electrodes typically comprising particulate activated carbon are separated by a microporous, electron-insulating, ion-conductive spacer element, comprising a uniformly-dispersed electrolyte component. The structure of the typical supercapacitor cell further comprises electrically conductive current collector elements in intimate contact with the respective electrodes.
For certain applications, some supercapacitor cells used for desalination are stacked together to form a SCD device. Since each of such supercapacitor cells includes a pair of electrodes and a pair of electrically conductive current collector elements in contact with the respective individual electrodes, it is complex to assemble such a SCD device, and the cost for manufacturing such a SCD device can be high.
Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved electrode and a supercapacitor desalination device using the electrode, and methods for making the same.